Services
Confidential discussions
Family mediation is a private and confidential process for couples going through separation or divorce. At Family Mediation Matters, mediation gives you a safe, neutral space to talk about child arrangements, parenting plans, housing and financial settlement without going straight to court. What you and the other person say in mediation stays between you, so you can speak openly, explore options for children, property, pensions and money, and work towards a clear, fair agreement that suits your family. An experienced family mediator helps you stay focused on practical solutions, reduce conflict, save on legal costs and reach decisions you both understand and can live with, now and in the future.
Non binding
During family mediation, both of you can talk openly about the issues and put forward different ideas for solving them. This safe space helps you test options and work towards an agreement that feels fair to you both. Where appropriate, especially in financial and property matters, the final agreement can be made legally binding by turning it into a court order. In children matters this is less usual, as many parents prefer to keep arrangements flexible and focused on their children’s needs.
Mediation is a voluntary process. It is designed for people who want to sort things out themselves, in a way that suits their family, rather than having a judge or other stranger impose a decision on them. By choosing mediation you keep more control, make decisions at your own pace and reduce conflict wherever possible.
MIAM
Mediation Assessment and Information Meeting
(MIAM)
This is an opportunity for the mediator to explain the process, ascertain that the subject matter and the parties are suitable for mediation, and undertake a safety assessment.
This meeting is on a one to one basis and is confidential.
The MIAM is repeated with the other party and if the mediator and the parties consider mediation to be appropriate and desirable, then a mediation meeting with the three parties is arranged.
Each MIAM will be about thirty minutes with a fixed fee of £150 shared between the parties.
Initial MIAM
£150
Children mediation
As parents your children are incredibly important to you now, and will be well beyond their childhood.
It is therefore essential that parents work together in a constructive way at a time, and continuing, when how their parents behave towards each other are lessons in life for them.
Points scoring, blame and an unwillingness to work together can make for a miserable time, for everyone.
Each session will be about 90 minutes. The number of sessions will depend on the issues, and the parties. Often one session, and sometimes 2 or more.
Children mediation
£200 per hour.
This is shared between the parties equally, or in some other agreed proportion.
Financial mediation
Financial mediation firstly involves the parties making full open and honest disclosure to each other, and to the mediator.
When that process is completed, and possibly before, the parties meet with the mediator to look at their assets, including pensions, and liabilities and discuss how they will be shared. There may be lots of options, or very few. Each couple's circumstances will be unique to them.
Mediation is constructive and outcomes can be agreed and be imaginative. That tends not to be the case if "discussions" are carried out at the kitchen table or convolutedly through solicitors. The court in tightly constrained in what orders it can make.